I found these spiky little aloe vera plants behind a sign saying “free to good home”, on the side of the road. I thought that I could provide them with a “good home” in my new garden, situated in front of our currently being renovated 1950s house.  Apparently they are good for relieving sunburn.  So, with my pale skin and summer starting to heat up, they are very welcome to my little garden.

I had just finished planting my new adoptees when the postie pulled into our driveway and handed me a parcel.  It was  from Stars and Swallows, an awesome online store that sells rockabilly and vintage style clothing, accessories and homewares.

I very excitedly clutched my little parcel and hurried off to the studio (which is behind my 1950s house) and plonked myself on the comfy leopard print couch.  Without delay, I tore off the post satchel to reveal a lovely Christmas card and two sweetly wrapped packages; one in elegant black tissue paper and the other in bright Christmas wrapping paper.  I thought it was such a pleasant personal touch and really nice of Tracey from Stars and Swallows to go to all that extra effort. It made me feel special.

After reading the Christmas card (and taking a quick photo), I carefully unwrapped the packages to reveal a bunch of grouse goodies… Check them out!

I had to have the “Hades Hands” skeleton hair clip duo from Stars and Swallows because I fell in love with my friend’s clips.  Therefore, I desperately needed some of my own.  So look out! With these babies I will be having spectacular, spooky hair!

If I am not wearing my new “Hades Hands” clips, I will most likely be wearing my latest edition to my flower clip collection.  That is, my “Heavy Metal Red” flower hair clip from Stars and Swallows. I love it how the skull in the centre of the flowers adds a quirky, edgy twist to the flower and the feathers make it look very elegant.  I also like the way it sits flat -perfect to decorate the back of updos! You see, I often use red flowers to style pinup shoots and also like to embellish my own hair with them. Hence, this one adds a nice alternative rockabilly twist on your classic red flower adorned by a pinup model.

Aside from some new additions to my hair piece collection, I also got a charming “classic anchor” tea towel to add to my collection of other beautiful nautical tea towels that I have ordered from Stars and Swallows in the past.  I have an obsession with nautical things and these fabulous tea towels surely brighten up the kitchen in the studio.  It’s a win-win!

Tracey also threw in a beautiful Stars and Swallows sticker.  I’m not sure whether I should beautify my guitar case or the cover of sketchbook with this one.  Maybe it should go on my pelican case (for storing camera lenses; not pelicans).  Decisions, decisions.  Anyway, I will worry about that later.

Last but not least, I also received a copy of Issue 6 of PinupSkool Magazine from Stars and Swallows.  This was a very exciting issue in particular, because a photograph that I had taken of a gorgeous client of mine, Kim Day, was featured on page number forty.

Kim, a volunteer firefighter for many years, started her modeling career at the age of 37, and this very multi-talented lady enjoys co-driving in rally car race competitions.  I therefore wanted to capture a little bit of her personality in her pin-up shoot, as I like to do with every shoot.

After chatting about our options, we decided that some oil cans, number plates, tools and my toolbox seemed to do the trick to create a little car-themed workshop scene on the seamless backdrop in the studio.

Of course, as with any image I capture, it just wouldn’t look the same without professional makeup, pin-up perfect hair and a great outfit! Therefore, Denise Moretti applied Kim’s makeup and Little Red styled Kim’s lovely blonde hair. Then, to complete her look as a gorgeous garage gal, Kim chose from our studio wardrobe some fabulous 1950s denim jeans and a red gypsy top from Vivien of Holloway Australia. She looked absolutely stunning, like a goddess!  I really enjoyed photographing her and I am very lucky to have such a great team, working hard behind the scenes in the studio.

After receiving the edited images from her shoot, Kim told me that she was interested in submitting her images to some publications.  I couldn’t have agreed more! Knowing that this gorgeous lady should definitely be in a magazine, I suggested that I submit her photographs to the lovely PinupSkool Magazine.  Kim concurred. I therefore sent the shots to them and received an email stating that they would love to use one of the images in their “Domestic Goddess” Issue. Congratulations Kim!

Obviously, having my image of the beautiful Kim published, I just had to order a copy from Stars and Swallows for myself and add it to my archive of published artworks.  And now, whilst wearing my new hair clips; I think its time to sit in my garden, sip an iced coffee and read this magnificent magazine.

♥ Mallory xoxox